Editor's Note

The Charge

"Say, I just remembered—I came back here looking for somebody. You
don't know who it is, do you?" "It's a funny thing…it just
slipped my mind!"—Groucho and Chico Marx, A Night at the
Opera (1935)

Opening Statement

With Duck Soup and Animal Crackers behind them, the Marx
Brothers—grumpy Groucho, speech decimator Chico, and the silent
Harpo—came together for A Night at the Opera, a skewering of high
society with lowbrow comedy. Filled with zippy zingers and lots of pratfalls (as
well as one of the funniest piano playing sessions caught on film), A Night
at the Opera is now considered one of the Marx Brothers' most beloved films.
Warner Home Entertainment has finally released this classic tenor on DVD both as
a single disc and in a brand new Marx Brothers box set.

Facts of the Case

Join Groucho, Harpo, and Chico, AKA The Marx Brothers, as they attempt to
ruin everything and everyone in the path when they attend a coveted Night at
the Opera! Groucho is Otis B. Driftwood, a business manager who takes in two
bumbling friends (Harpo and Chico) to help him bring two young opera singers
(Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones) to the stage. Unfortunately, standing in their
way is Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Durmont), a wealthy widow willing to pay $1,000
per performance to Rodolfo Lassparri (Walter King), a pompous opera star who is
long on voice and short on humility. Lassparri has a great voice but a bad
attitude, and an even worse disposition toward Otis and his friends. But in the
end the three bumbling buffoons will make sure the young lovers are given their
due stage time—and destroy a grand old opera in the process!

The Evidence

Let me start off by admitting that I am not a Marx Brothers historian. In
fact, I'll be dead honest: A Night at the Opera is (gasp!) the first Marx
Brothers film I've ever seen. In other words, I don't have any scholarly
knowledge about this famous, cinematically historical comedy team. In fact, I
don't have any scholarly knowledge on anything, but that hasn't stopped DVD
Verdict from letting me prattle on endlessly about bad movies that I love!
Suckers!

But I digress.

A Night at the Opera is a very funny movie. So funny, in fact, that
many Marx Brothers fans consider it to be one of their best movies, and I can
see why! The jokes in A Night at the Opera come fast and furious, a scant
few missing, most hitting their targets. Though I've grown quite fond of older,
"classic" films over the years, I wasn't quite prepared for how
enjoyable the Marx Brothers brand of humor ended up being.

The plot of the film seems rather inconsequential: Groucho, Chico, and Harpo
must help two young lovers sing at an opera. Ho-hum. As with most comedies, the
great stuff resides in the execution, not the starting point. The story is just
a place for the Marx brothers to hang all their puns, zingers, pratfalls, and
sarcasm.

And wow, is there a lot going on in this movie! For a moment I thought I'd
seen the film before…then I realized one of my favorite underrated
comedies, the 1992 Zucker produced Brain
Donors, was based on A Night at the Opera's wonderfully manic
screenplay (written by George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, Al Boasberg, and an
uncredited Buster Keaton). Groucho, Harpo, and Chico zoom through the film at a
record pace. Some of their most classic gags are featured here, including:

• Harpo's antics as he swings around the ship and finds himself
dragged via tow line in the choppy wake of the vessel.

• Chico and Groucho's attempts at coming to an agreement on their
contract ("The party of the first part shall be known as the party in the
first part…")

• Groucho's contempt for the opposite sex, especially while on
dates ("You're check, sir." "$9.40! This is an outrage! If I were
you, I wouldn't pay it!")

And that, dear readers, is just scratching the surface. I truly had a grand
time watching this movie. It's been quite some time since I viewed a film that
made me want to immediately want to go out and buy any sequels or follow-ups to
that particular film. A Night at the Opera made me want to see every Marx
Brothers comedy ever made, even the ones that fans and scholars might consider
lackluster. It could be that I'm gushing a bit and missing a few of the film's
flaws, but for once let's just overlook that fact and agree that this is overall
a hysterical, timeless comedy.

The Marxs' skewing of society is something that resonates with all of
us—who among you doesn't want to let the air out of some pompous
co-worker, family member, or friend's egotistic balloon? There may not be a deep
meaning in A Night at the Opera (well, maybe one: if you have a long
beard, don't ever go to bed on a ship where the Marxs reside), but there are
plenty of laughs that will tickle the funny bones of everyone, ages 5-95.

A Night at the Opera is presented in its original 1.33:1 full frame
aspect ratio. Because I never saw any of the Marx Brothers films on VHS, I can't
say what condition the transfers used to be in. From what I do see Warner
Brothers has done a very nice job at making sure this first ever DVD version of
A Night at the Opera is clear of any major defects—grain and dirt
is kept to a general minimum and the black and whites are all solidly rendered.
While there are a few minor imperfections in the picture, overall fans will be
very happy with the way this transfer turned out.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono in English. There
isn't much to discuss regarding this sound mix—the music, dialogue and
effects are well heard without any major distortion. I'm happy to see that
Warner has kept the original mono sound mix for this film—it's a nice
representation of what the film most likely sounded like in 1935. Also available
on this disc are English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Fans of the film will be thrilled to hear that Warner has included a few
informative, entertaining extra features on this first ever DVD edition of A
Night at the Opera. Starting the special features is a commentary track by
film critic Leonard Maltin. This wonderful commentary features stories about the
film's production, the Marxs' history, and lots more info on everything Chico,
Groucho, and Harpo. Silent gaps are at a minimum and Maltin is an engaging
commentator on the night's wacky proceedings.

Next up is "Remarks on Marx," a half-hour retrospective on the
film and the Marx Brothers featuring actor Dom DeLuise, director Robert B.
Weide, writer Irving Brecher, director Carl Reiner, actress Kitty Carlisle Hart,
and more. This is a nice little look back at the film and its influences on
popular cinema.

"Groucho Marx on 'The Hy Gardner Show'" features an aged Groucho
discussing his career with interviewer Hy Gardner and telling stories about the
time the Marx Brothers all stripped naked and roasted baked potatoes in the
fireplace of one of MGM's head executives.

Finally there are two vintage short films ("How To Sleep" and
"Sunday Night At The Trocadero") and a theatrical trailer for the film
presented in 1.33:1 full frame and featuring Groucho, Harpo, and Chico comically
mocking MGM's trademark lion.

Closing Statement

A Night at the Opera is a crowning achievement for the Marx Brothers,
and after almost 70 years, it's still a wonderfully entertaining film. Warner
has done an excellent job at making sure this disc looks and sounds good and is
packed with memorable extra features.